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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kannik" data-source="post: 5629043" data-attributes="member: 984">If the team's been burned, the second session can be about picking themselves up, and hiding themselves -- basically giving them the space/freedom to be able to operate again, with anonymity and resources acquired.  Along the way, and at the start of the third session, they discover or deduce* some clues.  From there, session 3 and 4 would be them taking on various small/medium sized operations that gain them intel, equipment, and disrupt the overall plans of the opponent organization(s).  Late session 5 and session 6 is their infiltration into the HQ and locus of the villain organization, ruining their plans and stopping world domination (tm).  The ringleader is not there, however (or escapes), leaving it open to future movies, er adventures... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />* - note that especially in a game full of intrigue, clues and shadowy situations the players are often amazing at coming up with deductions and theories that are more amazing and crazier than what the GM could ever dream up.  My recommendation:  USE THEM.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />  Maybe not verbatim, but steal some of their cooler ideas, kitbash them together and with your own ideas, and come up with something that is a) more epic and b) the players will feel smart for having figured bits of it out.If you want some classic tropes to play off of:* Hacking into an enemy's network (or gaining access into their server space)* Some scenes taking place in Monte Carlo, with gambling, glitz and glamour* A warehouse fight scene, with forklifts and crates and heavy weaponry galore, all that yield vital clues to the operation* Surveillance on a property, house or person(s)* Finding something, someone, or somewhere within a large city (requiring some sort of methodical plan, often using tech, to find them)* An epic battle in an epic location:  atop a tower, across a swinging bridge, atop two buses careening through mid-day traffic...* Some sort of vehicle chase, bonus points if it's mixed media (the PCs are being chased by two helicopters armed with rockets...)* There is a front company being used by the villain organization, and the PCs have to get inside (posing as business partners?  janitors?) to get the goods or data*  Some superspy implements and gadgets sprinkled throughout, and convenient safe houses*  The evil villain's plan isn't pure domination, it's domination through a side door (economic, media, access to world leaders, stealing all the world's monuments...)*  At least one thing that isn't what it seems to be... *  Sub pens and underground lairs*  One part of the mission that has a hard time limit, and that time limit is nearly reached*  At least one martial-arts heavy fight*  Situations that "force" PC choice, even if it is "the fire is catching up to me, do I activate my portable airbag and jump, try to fight my way out with this fire extinguisher, or hook my tonfa onto this cable and zipline to safety..."*  A villain base that is hidden behind/inside something innocuous*  And I could have saved some time by linking to this:  <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EspionageTropes" target="_blank">Espionage Tropes - Television Tropes & Idioms</a>  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":P" title="Stick out tongue    :P"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":P" />   (note:  visiting this site will invariably suck you in for hours on end, be warned)I think you have a good framework to start with, and the in media res start is great.  The benefit of following a smaller mission mode for the middle few sessions will be, besides ease of setup, it gives you options to prepare more and gives the players choices, it lets you develop things based on what they are doing, and lets you tailor what you prepare based on what they like/how they play.  So long as they all point towards the finale none will seem disjointed or extraneous.  I do loves me some Spycraft (my first RPG was Top Secret).  Let us know how it goes, and what you come up with!codename:Kannik</blockquote>

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